Practice Makes Perfect
by Astred
Summary: Michael has to keep practicing till he gets it right. FINISHED!


"Why Michael? I want you to tell me why we can't be together and don't say Section because there are other people having relationships in here." Nikita said. 

"Just because they are does not mean that they should." 

"Oh perfect reasoning Michael. Did you think that one up all by yourself?" 

"I have work to do Nikita. So if you don't mind. We can talk later." 

"No. We can't. Good-bye Michael." 

After leaving Michael's office she stormed out of Section. She had to get away even if it was only for a couple of hours. Her anger was so intense that she could not stop the tears from falling. 

Michael put his head in his hands. He did not know what to do about Nikita. He wanted to be with her, but he also knew that Section would be able to use her more than they already do. He couldn't let that happen. If it meant that he had to lose her to save her. Then so be it. Although he knew what kind of mood she was in. He also knew that when she is in that type of mood that she was dangerous. Not to anyone but herself. So he turned off the computer and headed out to find her. He had no idea what he was going to say to her, but he would have to think of something. 

Nikita decided that she would walk home. She did not care that it was several miles because she knew that she should not drive as upset as she was. She thought about Michael. _Why does he do this? Why can't he just take a chance? _

She stopped long enough to lean up against a building to try to calm down. Her tears had turned from anger to sadness. As she tried to wipe the tears away she caught sight of a familiar motorcycle. She was not about to talk to him. He was the cause of all her trouble. She started walking again. As she cut through an alley she thought that she had lost him. But when she got around to the other end she saw him. She pretended as if he wasn't even there. The next alley was dark but she went through it hoping that the darkness would keep her from Michael's sight. 

Michael drove around hoping to see her come out the other side once again, but after waiting about five minutes she did not come out so he rode around to the other side. Still no sign of her. So after another few minutes he pulled up and parked his bike on the sidewalk. As he entered the alley he could hardly see a thing, but the further he went in the more his eyes adjusted. He still did not see her anywhere. As he was starting to walk back out he heard a noise behind him. As he spun around he pulled his gun and aimed it at the shadow. 

"I would cool it if you ever want to see your girlfriend again." The man said as he walked out of the shadows. 

"Where is she? If you tell me now I won't kill you." Michael said. 

"You won't kill me anyway. Because if you do then you will never find out where she is." 

Michael backed off a little and put up his gun then turned back towards the man and grabbed him by the neck and pushed him against wall. "Tell me where she is now. " 

"Like I said kill me and you never find her." He choked out. 

"Who are you? Who do you work for?" Michael asked still not letting up the hold that he had on the man's neck. 

"I don't work for anybody. I have been watching the two of you for a couple of months. I have seen her come home in some pretty expensive jewelry and I have seen limousines and all sorts of stuff. I knew that if we took her that you would pay good money to get her back." 

That was when Michael realized. This was not a terrorist group this was a bunch of idiot men trying to get some money. Michael was not really worried because he knew that he would get Nikita back, but he did hope that it was soon. So he grabbed his cell phone and dialed a number without letting up on the grip that he had on the man's neck. Once he got off of the phone he hit the man again. 

"What are you doing?" The man asked. 

"I am waiting for someone." Michael said with almost a smile on his face. 

"Just remember, You kill me and she will die before you can find her. I promise you." 

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you, but I am going to take you to somebody that will make you wish that I had. I am going to introduce you to Madeline. You'll like her." 

"Go ahead. I am not scared of any woman." 

Michael thought about what he had said. He might not be scared of women, but Madeline was not your ordinary woman. Within ten minutes a van pulled up and got the man. Once Michael had turned him over to them he told them what happened and to have Madeline 'question' him. That he was going to look for Nikita. 

Michael checked all of the side streets the alleys and abandoned buildings in the area. He found nothing. He knew that these men that had taken Nikita would more than likely not have the resources to get her too far away. He even went back to her apartment hoping that she had gotten away and come home. There was no such luck. He thought for a minute to look and she if she had her gun with her. She didn't. It was still sitting in the cabinet. She had only come into Section that day to talk to him. She must have thought to herself that she needed no protection from him. _Boy was she wrong he thought. _

Meanwhile back at Section 

The van pulls up out front. The man has got a mask over his head and is lead in by to very muscle bound men. They walked him into Section interrogation room. (a.k.a. the white room) 

When they took off the mask Madeline was standing in front of him with one of those smiles that say you will tell me what you know or you will die. The man did not act like this bothered him. Once they had him fastened down to the chair Madeline began to talk. 

"Hello. I am Madeline. I want you to tell me where you took the young blonde woman." 

"I don't know what you are talking about. Sorry." He said with more than a little sarcasm. 

"Me too." She turned around to let the torture twins in. She then got a real smile. She was going to enjoy this. Before she left the room she said one last thing. "What ever it takes." 

As the door close she heard the man start to scream. She knew that they would have some information soon. Once she got to her office she telephoned Michael to see if he had found anything yet. 

"I have been all over but there is no sign of her. I am on my way back into Section now." 

"Alright he is in with someone right now. We should know something soon." 

About ten minutes later he walked in the door at Section. He met up with Madeline who had a smile on her face. 

"Did he break?" Michael asked. He realized what a stupid question that was after he had already said it. 

"Of course. It took less than five minutes. He broke quicker than anyone. She is being held in the basement of her apartment building. She has been drugged and tied up. This has been planned for a while. I am surprised that you and Nikita never noticed them. I think it might be in order for some more training." 

"I am going to get Nikita." Michael said before he walked out of Section. 

As he pulled up in front of Nikita building he began to sneak in without being noticed. As he got to the door of the basement he heard a mans voice. 

"I say we don't wait. Let's go ahead and kill her now. Because if we keep her alive much longer she will end up killing us. She has already got loose once and just about broke your arm." 

"What if they come up with the money?" 

"We were still going to kill her. Did you think that we were going to let her go. She can ID us." 

Michael did not wait much longer when he pushed the door open and flew down the steps to the basement floor. The men never had a chance. They were dead within seconds of Michael's attack. Once he was done he looked around for Nikita. He found her over in the corner unconscious and chained to a pole on the wall. When he saw her she had been beaten severely. He knew that he needed to get her back to Section as soon as possible. Her wrists were bleeding. He could tell that she had been trying to get loose from them and her beautiful face was so bruised. They had only had her for about two hours. He could not have imagined what she would have looked like if she had been there any longer. He carried her out of the building to her car. He had driven it there because he knew that she would be in no way able to ride his bike. 

He carried her to an awaiting gurney in Medlab. He watched as they hooked tubes and wires up everywhere. After another hour she regained consciousness. That was when they called him back in. They made him leave so that they could check her condition. When Michael walked in he saw the doctor standing waiting for him. 

"Is she going to be alright?" Michael asked. 

"She has severe internal bleeding. We tried but there is really no way to stop it. I'm sorry but she will not live through the night. There is nothing that we can do." The doctor then he turned and left. 

Michael felt as though his heart was being ripped out. As Michael walked in he saw Nikita staring right at him. She had a solemn look on her face. He did not know how he was going to tell her that she was dying. He could barely face it himself. 

"How are you feeling?" He asked. 

"I'm alright." 

"You are going to be just fine. I'm sure of it." 

"Liar. I know I'm dying Michael." She looked down. "They've already told me." 

Michael turned away. She was so calm about it and he felt as though he was about to explode. He could not stop the tears from building in his eyes. He turned back to her and took off his jacket. He was going to stay with her. He was going to make sure that his face was the last one she saw. 

"Nikita. The reason that I said that stuff today was because I didn't want them to be able to use you anymore. The more feelings I have for you the more that can use you and I can't let that happen. They know that I just didn't wa--" she stopped him by putting two fingers to his lips. "Oh Nikita. I don't want you to leave me. I don't want you to die." 

"I am not to happy about going either." She said as tears came up in her eyes. "I'm scared Michael." 

"I'm here my love and I will not leave you. We will be together. We will always be together. I promise you this. I won't let you leave me." 

"There is really nothing that you can do to stop it." She said. She started to get tired and laid her head back in his arms. 

"I can't let you go and since I can't stop you from leaving me I will just follow you." 

"NO MICHAEL!! I won't let you. You can't do it. I don't want you to die. Please don't Michael!" She began to sob. 

"I'm sorry. I just don't think that I will be able to live without you. I love you Nikita. I always have." 

"Just the words I wanted to hear. I love you too. I always will. Always." She said as she closed her eyes and with her last breath she said. "Never forget that." 

As she went limp in his arms he kissed her one last time and laid her down on the bed and walked towards his office. There were no tears, there were no emotions. Everything was gone. His heart, his soul, his Nikita. He had nothing left. He walked in and closed the door. 

Walter was walking over to his door when he heard Michael's voice. "I'm sorry Nikita." 

Then the gunshot. Then Nothing. 

*********************************** 

Michael felt as though his head weighed a ton. It felt as though he could not even lift it up. He just waited for darkness to take him to Nikita. That was when it happened. 

"Michael. Wake up. I want to talk to you." 

He jerked his head up at the sound of her voice. "Nikita!" 

"Michael, I'm here. What's wrong?" Nikita said. 

"Nothing. Just a nightmare I guess. What was it that you wanted to talk about?" 

"Us." She said simply. 

"Nikita. There can be no us. You know that." 

"Why Michael? I want you to tell me why we can't be together. Don't say Section because there are other people having relationships in here." 

"Just because they do does not mean they should." 

"Oh perfect reasoning Michael. Did you think that one up all by yourself?" 

"I have work to do Nikita. So if you don't mind. We can talk later." 

"No. We can't. Good-bye Michael." And out she went. 

Michael sat there for a minutes feeling complete Deja vu. Then he remembered the 'dream'. He jumped up and stopped her before she was able to leave. 

"Nikita, I'm sorry. I will take you home. I want to talk to you. Just wait for me for just a minute." 

After a few minutes of arguing Nikita finally agreed to wait for him. When he came back to her he had a worried look on her face. Something was not right about all of this. It felt as though it had happened before but I couldn't have. Nikita is alive. 

"What is it you want to talk about? Are you going to tell me all the reasons why we can't be together? Cause if that is it then save it. I have heard it all before." She started to walk away from his motorcycle. 

"Nikita, please. Give me a chance to explain. Hop on. I will take us somewhere we can talk." 

She agreed even against her better judgment and she left with him. They pulled up at an old abandoned warehouse. He opened to the lock with ease. Once they were inside he sat her down on some stairs. He looked into her eyes and tried to think of the right words to say. "I am worried about you." 

"About me. Michael I can take care of myself." 

"That is not what I mean. You know how Section is. They know that you are my weakness and they use that as much as they can. Even though you are also my greatest strength. You know what they do. They would use you to make me do things that I wouldn't ordinarily do. They know that I would do anything to help you and they don't like that I am more loyal to you than to them." 

"Why have you never told me this before? Why wait till now?" 

"Because I don't want to lose you. I love you." 

"Just the words I wanted to hear. I love you too." Nikita said. She then leaned over to kiss him when they heard a noise. "What was that?" Nikita said. 

"Stay here. Do you have your gun?" 

"No. I didn't think that I would need it today." She said. "I was just coming to talk to you." 

"Take mine. I have another." 

Michael slowly moved in the shadows. He saw something coming towards him so he moved back. That was when he heard Nikita. He ran back to where he had left her. There were three guys there. One holding her and the other two with guns trained on her. Michael lifted his gun to fire. But as he did the one that was holding Nikita pushed her to the one in the middle. The one Michael had just fired at. The bullet hit Nikita right in the back. When this happened the other men took off. 

"Nikita. Oh my god. I'm sorry. It will be alright. Don't worry." 

She was limp in his arms. She was no longer breathing. She had no pulse, but Michael would not leave her. No matter what. He stayed until the sun began to rise still cradling her in his arms. The next thing he knew he heard a door. 

"Michael. Wake up. I want to talk to you." 

"Nikita!!" 

"Michael, I'm here. What's wrong?" 

"Nothing. Just a nightmare I guess. What was it that you wanted to talk about?" 

"Us." 

"Nikita." he was going to explain it to her again and then he realized something. _It was happening again. The same thing. What was going on? He had to stop it now._ Michael silenced her long enough to call Walter. 

"Walter. I want you to send someone over to Nikita's apartment building and have them look in the basement and at the alley at Forth and Main. I think that someone is following Nikita." Michael commanded. "Then go to the building on Jackson and Whittaker. There another three individuals there that I want picked up." 

"Will do. I will send them out right away. Anything else?" Walter said. 

"No that is it." 

"Michael. Do you want to tell me what is going on here? Or do I get to guess?" Nikita asked. 

"You would not believe me if I told you." 

"You never know. Do you want to go out and get some coffee?" 

"Not right now. I want Walter to have these places checked out first." 

"What is it? Do you think that I have been breached?" 

"I don't know. I guess we will just have to see." 

Two hours later the team of men that Walter sent out came in. They had found the men. They were rounded up and taken to Madeline. After this Michael turned back to Nikita. 

"Do you want to go out for that coffee now?" 

"Sure. Let's go." Nikita said and followed him out. 

"It has been a strange couple of days. I can't wait for it to end." 

"I wish you would tell me what is going on. You are acting awful strange and that is not like you." 

Before he had a chance to answer the waitress at the coffeehouse came to them. It was not one that Michael recognized from his frequent trips there with Nikita. 

"Hello. My name's Gina. Is there anything I can get for you?" 

"We want two coffees. One with two creamers, five sugars and one black." Nikita said. 

"You're new. I have never seen you before." Michael said. 

"I know. I just go where I am needed." She gave him a nice smile and walked away. 

"She certainly seems nice. I wonder when she came here." 

"I don't know. The only time I come here is with you." Michael said. 

"So do you want to talk about?" 

"I just wanted to explain to you that Section does alot of things that you just can't understand. Like not letting us have a relationship. I want you to know that is the reason that we can't be together." 

"Do you love me Michael?" 

"You know we can't do this Nikita." 

"Do... you... love.... me?" 

Michael did not say a thing. He couldn't. He thought telling her would put her in danger, but Nikita took it to heart. 

"Thanks Michael. Thanks alot." 

Michael tried to follow her out but she stopped him and told him to stay away. He was standing outside when he heard someone behind him. He turned around to see Gina. 

"Go after her. Tell her the truth." 

"I can't. I don't even know what the truth is anymore." 

"Do you love her?" 

He paused for a minute and then looked at Gina. "Yes. I do." 

"Then tell her. She needs to hear it." Gina said. He turned back to looked at Nikita one last time. 

"How do you know all this?" He asked. 

There was no answer so he turned around to see no one in sight. He thought about what she had said and he decided that he would tell her tomorrow. He knew that not only did she need to hear it but that he needed to say it. 

He walked to his apartment. It was not far from Nikita's. That is why he picked that apartment for her. So they could be close. As he walked by her house he decided he was going to go and check on her. When he got to the door he heard Nikita's radio. He wanted to make sure that she was alright. After the last couple of days what had happened in his 'dreams' . When no one came to the door he unlocked it with his key. He looked over her apartment and everything was fine. He heard her in the shower. He peeked his head in to check on her and she was singing with the radio . She had no idea he was there. He left before she turned off the water and was able to hear him. 

When Nikita stepped out of the shower she was drying her hair off and looked at the mirror. She stared at it for a second and then smiled. On the steam covered mirror was the words, "I'm sorry. M " 

*********************************** 

As Michael walked into his apartment he thought about Nikita. What could he do to let her know of his feelings for her without letting anyone else know and putting her in danger. He walked to his room and laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. But he was not seeing the ceiling. 

He was seeing Nikita. Seeing her beautiful hair around her face. Seeing her smile. Seeing her in the shower. He couldn't help it . That was a great view. He got up long enough to take a shower. A little colder than normal. Then he went to bed. As he closed his eyes, his visions were of Nikita. His Nikita. 

"Michael. Wake up. I want to talk to you." 

"Nikita!" 

"Michael, I'm here. What's wrong?" 

"Not again." He dropped his head back on the desk with a thud. 

"WHAT!!" 

"No. Not you. Just a dream. You want to talk about us. Right?" He said as he lifted back up. 

"How did you know?" 

"Just luck, I guess. Let me do something real quick." That was when he called Walter about the men. With that taken care of he stood up to talk to her. 

"What is going on Michael? Or do I have to guess?" 

"I want to talk to you. Let's go out for coffee in a couple of hours." 

"Why in a couple of hours? Why not now?" 

"Trust me. Please." 

"Alright." 

When the team brought in the men Nikita looked at Michael and was about to ask him how he knew . He just answered before a word could come out of her mouth. "Luck." 

As they were heading out of Section Michael though about the last few days. That had not even seemed to happen to anyone but him. _Why was it happening to him? When would it stop? _

"Michael. Are you alright? You seem strange. You're not acting like yourself." 

"I'm fine." Standard answer. '"I just have alot on my mind. Everything is alright though." 

They walked into the coffee house and saw the same lady again. "Hello, My name is Gina. Is there anything I can get for you?" 

"Yes. We need two coffees. One with two creamers, five sugars and one black." Nikita said. 

"Coming right up." 

"So Michael are you going to tell me something or not." 

"I am trying to think of a way to tell you this. I need you to understand it. We just can't be together. No matter how much we want to." 

"Do you love me?" 

He still did not know what to say. Should he tell her or would it be safer for her not to know. 

"Well, when you figure it out. Let me know. I will be right back." She headed off to the bathroom. 

"You didn't tell her. Did you?" Gina said. 

"How do you know so much about me?" Michael asked. 

"You know if you don't learn from your mistakes then you are doomed to repeat them. Over and Over again." 

"Your doing this, aren't you?" He knew that he was right. 

"Yes." She said with a genuine smile. "My name is really Athena. You can't save her by staying away you know. The only way that you can save her is with your love." 

"I have to tell her the truth." 

"That's right. You have to tell her that you love her. You have told us that you loved her a million times." 

"Your right. I will." 

Right about that time Nikita came out of the bathroom. When she sat down you could tell that she had been crying. 

"I need to talk to you. There is something that I need to tell you. I tried for a long time to decide if I should tell you. I was worried that telling you would put you in danger." 

"Michael what is it that you want to tell me?" 

"I love you. " 

Nikita's face lit up. She smiled as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist. The tears in her eyes was the happiness she felt after waiting so long to hear these words. 

"You know that is just the words--" 

"You wanted to hear. I know." Michael finished. He held her as close as he possibly could. As they turned to walk outside he saw that Athena was leaving also. 

"So where are you going now?" Michael asked. 

"I go where I'm needed. Remember." 

"Thank you." Michael said as he and Nikita walked hand in hand out of the coffeehouse. 

"What took you do long?" Astred asked as she came down to stand beside her fellow angel. 

"Oh don't say a thing. Michael is not as easy to work with as Nikita." 

"I am surprised that you got him to tell her this early. I thought he was a much harder target. I am so proud of you." 

"Don't get cute." 

"I'm sorry Athena." 

"So who do you think we should do next?" Athena asked. 

"I don't know. We got Ops and Madeline and we have Birkoff and Gail. " Astred said. 

"When we do go after Operations, I mean Paul, and Madeline. You get Madeline." 

"Oh no. You took longer than I did. That was the deal." Astred said. 

"You got the easy one. So this time you get the hard one. " 

"On one condition." 

"What's that?" 

"When we do Birkoff and Gail I get Birkoff. He's so cute." 

"Deal." 

Athena and Astred slowly disappeared as they watched Michael and Nikita walking away leave together. 

"I think we are getting pretty good at this." Athena said. 

"What are you talking about? We're the best. Let's go. We have alot of work ahead of us on this next one." Astred said. 

The End 


End file.
